VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A retired Florida deputy was killed in North Carolina after his truck went underwater due to flooding and hazardous conditions from Hurricane Helene.
A North Carolina sheriff's office said a 911 call came in about a truck in a river with a witness saying they saw someone inside before it was submerged on Friday morning. Deputies realized Jim Lau, a courthouse security officer, hadn't returned to work from lunch and his truck matched the description of the truck seen in the river.
A search effort was initiated by multiple emergency service agencies including people on foot, a drone search and multiple water rescue teams were called in.
Lau was found on Saturday morning in the river.
Deputies from the North Carolina sheriff's office praised Lau in a Facebook post.
"Jim was very liked and respected within our department. He was known to be a hard worker, dependable, and he jumped in wherever help was needed. His absence will truly be felt in our agency," the post read.
The Volusia County Sheriff's Office also posted saying Lau worked at the department from 1982 to 2005 in the major case and crime scene units.
"He was instrumental in establishing the crime scene program and taught hundreds of new deputies various crime scene skills," the post said.
The county where Lau died is southwest of Ashville, and the North Carolina Sheriff's Association also said another deputy was killed in a different western county due to floodwaters.
North Carolina officials are rushing to get more food, water and other essential resources to flood-stricken areas without power and cellular service.
Federal Emergency Management Agency officials said Monday that hundreds of roads were closed across western North Carolina and shelters across the area were housing more than 1,000 people.
Video showed a mass of debris, including overturned pontoon boats and splintered wooden docks, covering the surface of Lake Lure, a picturesque spot tucked between the mountains outside Asheville.
The death toll from the storm passed 100 as recovery begins in Florida, North Carolina and other states in the Southeast.
The Associate Press contributed to this report.
